Ryan Costello
A budget resolution that establishes a course for the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has cleared the House with support from Republicans in Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation.
U.S. Reps. Ryan Costello, Tim Murphy and Bill Shuster each praised the budget resolution, which will trigger a reconciliation process that will enable House Republicans to repeal ACA with a simple majority vote and no threat of filibuster from Democratic lawmakers.
“The Affordable Care Act has resulted in higher out-of-pocket costs for families, less access for patients, and a more expensive and complicated health care system than existed before it was implemented,” Costello said.
Premiums will rise this year and some insurance companies are leaving the exchanges.
“The way to improve our health care system is to focus on making coverage more affordable, empowering patients with greater choice and flexibility, and expanding access for care, while protecting those who currently have coverage, especially those with pre-existing conditions,” Costello said.
More transparency is needed surrounding the actual costs of health care services, and greater competition is needed in the health insurance marketplace.
“It can only occur by encouraging greater innovation in health care, enhancing program integrity and taking commonsense steps such as medical liability reform. All of these things must occur to create an affordable health care system,” he added.
Murphy said ACA was “already being illegally bailed out with taxpayer dollars” because the government account established to make payments to insurance companies had run out of money.
“Obamacare has failed and we’re working with President-elect Trump to rescue and rebuild the collapsing system,” Murphy said. “It won’t happen overnight but let me emphasize that we’re not going to pull the rug out from underneath anyone. There will be a stable transition to a better system that delivers the reforms the American people are demanding: care you need, at a price you can afford, from a doctor of your choosing.”
Speaking in support of the budget resolution, Shuster said ACA is broken and has failed his constituents in southwestern Pennsylvania.
“If nothing is done by Congress the problems in Obamacare will only worsen,” Shuster continued. “There’s a better way to provide quality health care to all Americans and we will work closely with the Trump administration on implementing new policies that will put in place a system that is sustainable. If nothing is done by Congress, the death spiral of Obamacare will continue.”